The blessed rains have finally arrived to break what was threatening to become a serious drought around here. Our main concern during this dry period of several weeks was the effect it could have had on 10 acres of clover hayfield we had seeded this past spring on the tree farm that surrounds Dodson Farm. We had seeded the fields just before a period of rainy weather and this helped get the crop off to a good start. But then the dry period set in, causing us to worry that we would experience a crop failure, repeating our experience of last spring and summer when another dry period hit and the crop failed. But our worries ended after we enjoyed several wonderful summer storms that spread about 2 inches -- and counting -- of rain on our fields. The rain also has been great for our gardens and lawns, although I am less concerned about the vegetables because of how I planted our most desirable crops in the spring. I placed plastic drip tape under black plastic sheeting to provide irrigation for the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, muskmelons and watermelons. The drip tape has tiny holes every 12 inches. When connected to a garden hose, the drip tape delivers copious amounts of water to the plants. The 3-foot-wide black plastic sheeting prevents weed growth from hindering the plants. The plastic also helps heat up the garden soil, which is beneficial to heat-loving plants. The result is that our summer crops are thriving. The tomatoes are doing especially well. Each plant is loaded with tiny, green fruit. Soon we will be able to enjoy a delicacy -- fried green tomatoes. Here is how we cook green tomatoes: Pick the largest fruit you can Paul Dodson Dodson Farm find. Cut them into slices about a quarter inch to three-quarters of an inch thick. Pat them dry and soak them for a few minutes in whipped egg. Take the egg-soaked slices and drench them in either cornmeal or a breading used for frying fish or chicken. Fry the slices of green tomato in hot olive oil or other vegetable oil until the coating is browned on both sides. Eat them while they're hot! Fried green tomatoes go especially well with fresh-caught fish. Incidentally, the fish have been biting in the St. Joseph River outside our front door. We have enjoyed several fine meals of bluegills, walleyes, catfish and bass. Some members of my family tease me about using an old-fashioned rowboat instead of more modern craft powered by electric and/or gasoline motors. My son Paul II, who lives next door, even has such a modern boat available for me to use at any time, but I prefer the rowboat. First of all, I need the exercise the rowboat provides. I also enjoy the peace and quiet of the rowboat. It is easy to maneuver the small boat into little coves and places where fish hide among sunken treetops. One sees more when taking it slow and easy. For example, when my grandson Brendan Dodson and I went fishing several days ago, we heard and saw things one might miss when using a motorboat. We were fishing close to shore when all of a sudden we heard the deep voice of a bullfrog just a few feet away. Brenny, who is 5, had never before heard a bullfrog up close. A few minutes later we saw a mama mallard duck with half a dozen baby ducks following closely behind her as she swam upriver. Then we saw a great blue heron land on the limb of a dead tree sticking up out of the river. We saw the heron plunge its head quickly into the water and come up with a wiggling fish in its beak. Brenny then noticed a particularly large bird flying just over the treetops along the riverbank. I told him it was a golden eagle, a somewhat rare bird for this area. A short time later we saw three young minks swimming close to the riverbank. They looked like playful children as they clambered up the bank and back into the river. They searched holes in the bank and swam around tree roots and branches in the river. I told Brenny the minks were looking for food such as crawdads, fish and frogs. I hope they didn't get the bullfrog that had just been serenading us. The Dodson Farm column appears every other Wednesday in the Community section. Paul Dodson can be reached by e-mail at this address: padodson@sbcglobal.net.